Nine killed in Tel Aviv suicide blast

DION NISSENBAUM

Published Tuesday, April 18, 2006

TEL AVIV, Israel -- A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up outside a fast-food restaurant in a crowded shopping area of Tel Aviv on Monday, killing at least nine people and creating a fresh crisis for the new Palestinian government, led by the militant Islamic group Hamas.

The terrorist group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Israel in two years, and released a videotape of the bomber making his farewell statement.

Hamas leaders, who are already faced with a cutoff of aid to the Palestinian Authority, defended the bombing as a legitimate response to Israeli military operations, drawing immediate criticism from Israel and the United States, and the prospect of further political isolation.

"The continued (Israeli) occupation is the reason behind the tensions and the never-ending cycle of violence," said Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Israeli and American officials called the bombing a clear test of the new government's intentions.

"The signs are clear that Hamas has one goal: It's to destroy the state of Israel," said Gideon Meir, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry.

In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Hamas' reaction would toughen the U.S. refusal to cooperate with the Palestinian government.

The bombing of the Mayor's Falafel restaurant came just before 2 p.m. as shoppers were preparing for the end of the weeklong Passover celebrations. It shattered car windows and filled the street with shards of broken glass, water bottles and broken chairs. At least 60 people were injured.

A security guard who'd been hired after a January attack on the same location stopped the bomber before he entered the restaurant. While the guard was checking the man's bag, the bomber detonated as much as 30 pounds of explosives hidden inside, police said.

"I heard a big explosion and immediately lay on the ground," said Moshe Dorani, 54, a government worker who was in a store across the street. "I saw smoke coming out of the falafel place and saw people lying on the ground."

Israel's Cabinet was expected to meet today to weigh its response to the bombing, which occurred hours before the new Israeli parliament was sworn in. Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who's in the process of putting together a new coalition government, said he'd do what was necessary to deter more attacks.

"We know how to respond," Olmert said.

Soon after the blast, the Israeli military re-entered the West Bank town of Nablus, where soldiers have been hunting militants and engaging in firefights for several weeks.

The Israeli military also continued shelling the Gaza Strip as part of its campaign to stop homemade rockets from being fired into southern Israel. Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a metal workshop in Gaza City early this morning, Palestinian officials said.

The airstrike caused no injuries but damaged the workshop, which the Israeli army said was used by militants to make rockets.

On Monday, a Palestinian teenager was killed and two of his friends were injured by Israeli artillery fire in northern Gaza, the Israeli military reported.

Israeli officials have warned that Palestinian government leaders, including Prime Minister Haniyeh, might be targeted for retaliation if they're linked to terrorism.

"Anyone who has a hand, or serves as a catalyst, or instigates, or takes part in these acts will certainly bear the consequences," said a senior Israeli official.

Hamas' defense of the bombing put the new government at odds with more moderate Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. As leader of the rival Fatah party, Abbas has long criticized suicide bombings as counterproductive. He quickly denounced Monday's attack.

Islamic Jihad identified the bomber as Sami Hammad, 21, a college dropout from the West Bank city of Jenin.